There has been quite a bit of news lately about cryptocurrencies and bitcoin. If that topic interests you, have a look at a newer book titled THE TRUTH ABOUT CRYPTO by Ric Edelman. His text is subtitled "A Practical, Easy-to-Understand Guide to Bitcoin, Blockchain, NFTs, and Other Digital Assets" and has garnered positive reviews. Edelman, a longtime financial advisor and educator, begins with a glossary of sorts so that readers are able to use the proper vocabulary. There, he describes blockchain technology as "the most profound innovation in commerce since the invention of the internet" and notes how relatively "few people," including financial professionals, realize that. He splits the text into 5 parts: Understanding the Technology; Understanding Bitcoin and Other Digital Assets; Investing in Digital Assets; Regulation, Taxation, and Compliance; and Getting Started. I think many readers, our students included, will jump to that last part which looks at answers to "Ten Common Concerns." But there's so much (e.g., hot wallets and cold wallets; base layer protocols; or defining money) to explore in previous chapters, too. Edelman sprinkles in interesting facts (e.g., AMC Theaters reports that 14% of its moviegoers pay for online tickets with digital assets) and provides a comprehensive list of the (roughly three dozen) "Helpful Lists You’ll Find Inside." THE TRUTH ABOUT CRYPTO is an initial informative look at a new, complex, and potentially transformative technology.

I did not fully understand cryptocurrencies or blockchain so I read several books on this subject and none of them really explained these topics fully. Then I read The Truth about Crypto and the fog before my eyes cleared. This book is by far the best at explaining these subjects. My lone complaint is that the author has this annoying to be cute and/or funny and at this, he fails miserably. If you can overlook this lone defect this book is a five star effort.

The book is a great education and investment primer on digital assets written by a well-known and respected investment advisor Ric Edelman. The subject area is still very new even though the bitcoins and blockchain technology have been around for about ten years. Since the prediction is that in another ten years 9 0% of the population will own or use cryptocurrencies, it is a very timely publication. The value of the book is that it can be read both by professionals and laypeople interested in learning about how cryptocurrencies work.